Utilizing inter-rotor wake interaction to improve endurance and compactness of multi-rotor

In Phase I, Rotoye will produce a multirotor design and prototype which will be optimized for indoor maneuverability with constraints on payload (> 5 lbs), size (window size), and endurance (> 25 minutes). The design will include a feasibility and performance analysis, including a sensitivity study regarding relaxation of the size constraint. An existing optimizer framework will be upgraded during this phase. Because the optimizer is capable of arbitrary, non-coplanar configurations (orientations and positions of homo/heterogeneous rotors) and a compact size is desired, a inter-rotor interference model will be developed to increase the fidelity of the optimizers designs.This model will be built and solidified using thrust stand data and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Our current, novel vehicle design is inspired by two empirical discoveries made by the team dealing with increasing hover efficiencies by vectoring of the inter-rotor wakes.The design vectors wakes with no extra moving parts, and provides full actuation to the vehicle for almost no loss in hover efficiency.This allows the vehicle to have superior handling in tight spaces, such as indoor environments. Finally, the selected optimized design of vehicle will be evaluated in simulation, prototyped and flight tested.